My 40 ounce water mug has arrived and I've had a chance to use it for a little while. Since maybe I'm not the only one dithering about what to pick up, I'm going to give my review.
(I am not compensated in any way for this review and I'm still angry about the coupon crap this company pulled, so....)
This is the Brumate Era in the 40 ounce size. The color is verbena.
First, I'm brutally disappointed with the shade of pink. It looks so much more vibrant in the pictures than it actually is. It's more of a flat dusty rose. I thought the pictures I saw online from other customers were an accident of lighting, but then my images turned out the same, so it photographs prettier than it is.
I know there are people who will be elated that the cup is more dusty rose than bright-ish pink, but I'm someone who loves neon shades. The brighter the better.
Second, 40 ounces is heavy when the cup is full of water. But all the 40 ounce mugs/cups are going to have the same issue so it's not unique to this brand.
About the cup itself, it is completely leak proof. I tested it. I filled it to the top with water, followed the instructions for the lid, and tipped it upside down over my sink. Nothing came out. I shook it. No leaks. Major win!
The lid has three settings: Sip, Seal, and Open. The sip setting has a little bead-like thing to mark it and the seal side has a little depression. To open it, you position the piece in the center of those two markers. It comes with a sticker that says where each position is. I washed the lid with it on, the sticker stayed in place, and I'm leaving it there for now.
The top of the straw is silicone and comfortable to drink from. My water stays cold enough even after hours in the cup. The cup/mug came apart easily for washing and reassembled just as easily. It says dishwasher safe for the top rack. I did put the cap, straw, and the other upper pieces in the top rack, but I put the actual cup on the bottom because of its size. It came through the experience just fine.
The bottom of the cup has a layer of rubber/silicone so it doesn't slide when I set it down.
One of the things I am having an issue with is that the mug is top heavy. I know it's designed to fit in a cup holder in cars, but I've almost knocked it over a few times reaching for it and missing the handle. I guess the cup holder trade off is stability.
I started thinking I wanted the 30 ounce size because of the weight and the stability issues. A smaller cup would sit closer to the table and be less tippy, I think. But then my 32 ounce coffee mug arrived. A 30 ounce water mug wouldn't hold enough water.
Picture of my 22 ounce coffee mug, the 32 ounce coffee mug, and the 40 ounce water cup for comparison:
Overall, I really like this water mug and it's done its job--I'm drinking more water. This is has been something I've been bad at. It met my biggest requirement--leak proof--and if I can get it in the same neon pink shade as my coffee mugs in the picture above, I will love it.
I'm giving it 5 stars and trying to pretend I never had a coupon.
